Collector for electric cars



- A ril 6, 1926.

H. SILBERMANN COLLECTOR FOR ELECTRIC CARS nya Filed August 26, 1921 Ways.

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Patented A r. e, was.

sra'rs PTE HANS SILIBERMANN, OF METGETHEN, NEAR KOIIIGSBERG, GERMANY; ASSIGNOR TO C. CQNRADTY, OF NUBEMBEBG, GERMANY.

COLLECTOR FOB ELECTRIC CARS.

Application filed August 26, 1921. Serial No. 495,525.

(GRANTED UNDER run raovisrons or THE sci or MARCH 2, 1921, 41 STAT. n, 1312.

To all w from it may concern Be it known that I, HANS SILnEnMANN, a citizen of the German Republic, residing at Itiletgethen, near Konigsberg, Germany, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Collectors for Electric Cars (for which I have filed applications in Germany, September 1, 1915, Patent No. 315,176; Japan, September 8, 1920; Belgium, July 9, 1920; Poland, JulyG, 1920; Czechoslovakia, July 2, 1920; France, July 10, 1920), of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in collectors for electric cars, and more particularly in collectors of the Siemens bow type. It has heretofore been proposed to provide collectors of this type with a shoe made from carbon. One of the objects of the improvements is to provide a collector of this class in which the carbon is not subject to injury from outer causes such as blow or bending of the collector. Another object of the improvements is to provide a collector which can be manufactured at comparatively low cost. With these and other objects in view my invention consists in providing the collector with a plurality of sectional carbon shoes of comparatively small size.

In working out a strong and practically efiicient structure of thisnature in which each carbon shoe or contact member is properly supported and protected, I have provided the metallic member of the bow which supports the contacts with a series of adjacent compartments or receptacles for the individual carbon contacts by which they are respectively filled out and which are thus effectively supported, protected against breakage and displacement and maintained in their several appointed relative positions, and incondition for use. Different modes of forming the said compartments or receptacles are shown in-the drawings, no effort at exhaustive illustration being made, however. Divisional members or partitions serving the above purpose may have the function also of bracing the supporting structure, thereby adding very materially to its strength, as will be apparent on in spection of the drawings, wherein some of the figures show riveted sheet metal strip ar g m nts. T individual fi9 ll av may be separately molded beforehand out of gas carbon in the known way and made of a size to be retained in the bow by friction, but the clamping effect on the contacts of the side pieces may be supplemented by the provision of a supporting rod, strip, cross-wall, ledges or the like beneath the contacts or by the employment of other means for preventing the contacts from being forced out of the collector whiclnwill readily suggest themselves to any one skilled in the art. It is evident also that the 'contact members may be molded in situ in the finished bow in such fashion as to remain a part thereof, the precise mode of manufacture and the particular means of preventing forcing of the carbon contacts through the collector being details for which novelty is not claimed.

In order that the invention be more clearly understood several examples embodying the same have been shown in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a partial plan view of the upper or bow part of a collector embodying the invention,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the collector shown in Fig. 1, parts being broken away.

Figs. 2 to 4, are similar plan views showing modifications,

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section on an enlarged scale of the collector shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 6- is a cross-section similar to that shown in Figs. 1, 1 and showing a modification.

In the example shown in Figs. 1 and 5, the upper bow shaped branch or cross member of my improved collector consists of a pair of metal strips a (a a a in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 respectively) connected at their ends by rods (Z (6Z (P, d in Figs. 2, 3 and l respectively) of any suitable material. At the part intermediate the inner ends of the rods d the strips a are formed with ribs c preferably connected with each other in a suitable way and dividing the portion intermediate the ends of the" rods (Z, into sections of a suitable length and providing compartments or receptacles, which are filled out by contact members or shoes 6 of carbon. It will be evident that any known or suitable m ans f r preven ing the contacts factured and have sutlicient strength to avoid injury by outer influences such as blows or bending of the collector otherw se likely to produce irregular fracture w th resultant impairment and at least partial disintegration. It will be understood that the individually supported sectional carbon contact members are electrically connected and together form a sectional unitary shoe. Their primar function as a conductor is thus assured and their durability is enhanced by the fact that beingsmall they are exposed only to lesser strains and that they are well protected against destructive forces. In the preferred form of the collector shown in Fig: 1 the -arbon shoes are provided only at such parts as make contact with the conductor and more particularly at the medium part of the upper branch of the collector.

As shown in Fig. 5 the strips (4 are made so as to taper upwards and inwards to prevent; the carbon shoes from falling from the collector strips a.

In the e. :aniple shown in Fig. 2 the length between the ends of the rods (Z is divided into sections or compartments by means of a wave like metal strip secured to the strips (4, and the carbon shoes 6 are shaped accordingly. In Fig. 3 I have shown substantially Z-shaped sheet metal strips 0 riveted or otherwise secured to the strips (1%, said strips providing partitions disposed at an angle to the strips a and forming compartments constituting receptacles for the carbon contact members. Accordingly the sectional carbon shoes are formed with angular end faces. In the modification shown in Fig. l the carbon members 71 have circular cr-z section, the space left between the same and the strips (1 being filled out by metallic parts 0 connecting the strips In G I have shown a modification in which the shoe is composed of a bundle of elongated metallic and carbon members. I wish it to be understood that a carbon shoe of this composition may be used in any of the constructions shown in Figs. 1 to t.

IVhile in describing the invent-ion reference has been made to particular examples mbodying the same, I wish it to be understood that my invention is not limited to the constructions shown in the figures and that various changes may be made in the general arrangement of the apparatus and the construction of its parts without departing from my invention.

I claim:

1. In a collector of the bow type. the combination. with the metallic bow, of a series of mechanically separate carbon contact members having established lines of division between them and disposed in the direction of its length on the mctlium portion of the horizontal part of said how with said members located one beside the other in electrical connection to form a contact shoe.

2. In a collector of the bow type, the con'ibinatioin with the metallic bow comprising in its upper branch a pair of spaced metallic strips, of a multiplicity of small separately supported carbon contact members disposed between said strips.

3. In a collector of the bow type. the combination, with the metallic bow. of a series of carbon contact members disposed on said how one beside the other and having metalhe contact members embedded therein.

1 In a collector of the bow type. the combination with the metallic bow. of a longitudinal series of short carbon contact meinhers disposed on the bow. and metal parts carried by the bow individually supporting said carbon members and maintainin; them in their appointed relative positions against endwise and crosswise strain. 1

In a collector ofthe bow type. the coinbmation with a metallic bow having a transversely braced cross member, a series of relati ely small electrically connected but physically separate carbon contact memberslocated on said cross member between the transversely bracing means and individually supported and maintained thereby in their several appointed positions against endwise and crosswise strain.

(i. In a collector of the bow type. a metal- IIC support provided with di isionor partition means dividing the supportinto a series of relatively small contact receiving .compartments or receptacles. and a correi pondinn series of carbon contact members fitting said compartments or receptacles and indi yidually supported and maintained thereby in their several appointed relative positions.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set mv hand. I

HAXS SILBERMANX, 

